Just when I was thinking that I was getting it

[texas butterfly]

Was observing TWO monarch butterflies this morning at my milkweeds.

I thought HOW COOL!!!! Maybe it is UNO and DOS???? My 1st two butterfly releases.

Noticed one was smaller than the other and the bigger one seemed to be chasing the smaller one.

Well, as I looked closer started to think that I had a Gulf Frittary (pardon spelling).

Kinda looked like a Monarch, but had extra white spots in orange section of wings and also did not have the black vein look when it laid its wings open flat.

So, think that I figured out the smaller butterfly is a QUEEN.

So, anyway to tell if eggs are Queen or Monarch. I brought in another 3 eggs this morning, so have 23 eggs presently. Now, I'm thinking some may be Queens.

I've still have a lot of milkweed, but thinking that I may need to go find some more plants.

I guess I'm now raising Queen and Monarch butterflies. In addition to the Black Swallowtails which seem to be doing great in my butterfly tent. They like the dill and fennel that I bought as plants yesterday.

The learning and challenges never start.

I think that is what is cool about butterflies. I'm hooked for sure.....

I know that the Queen will have a 3rd set of filaments so I could keep them seperate.

[Mona Miller]

Be sure to keep your eggs apart. Both queens and monarchs will turn around and each another egg (plus the caterpillar) inside. Also, separate instars. Larger ones don't have very good eye sight and they'll plow through the leaves with the tiny larvae on them.

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/images?l=1893
Images
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/spec ... e=48*Texas
Info

[sbannister]

I just posted in the sightings forum (before I saw this topic) that I found my first tiny Queen cat on Saturday. It is so cute and I can't wait to see it get bigger! I was (am) very excited. This is the first I have ever had in 3 years of growing milkweeds. Possibly the record breaking heat is bringing them further north than usual.

[texas butterfly]

Thanks for tip in keeping the eggs separate. Hopefully by tomorrow I can get them separated.

The book that I bought yesterday with Family Butterfly in the title has an interesting and possibly inexpensive way to create lots of individual egg/cat chambers.

I think it is just the clear solo cups and taping two together to make a enclosure and then using bedding plant crates to stack them.

I probably brought in another 20 eggs today. It seems almost every leave has an egg.
I'm guessing that I have 40 to 50 eggs now. I'm going to have to stop looking.......

I also went and bought 4 large milkweed plants at garden center. It is hopefully a good sign that something has eaten a little on plant and some had "traditional milkweeds" in the pots.

So, when I run out of leaves on the other plants, I'll go with these plants. Hopefully they didn't get sprayed.

I may have to just turn my head and let nature handle supply and demand issues.

My seedlings of milkweed are still growing, but they won't be ready for at least 4 to 6 more weeks.